General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Microsoft Ends the Windows 10 Pricing Speculation, Reveals Home and Pro MSRPs

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 06:32 PM PDT

Just the numbers, please!

Windows 10

We're learning a lot of official details about Windows 10 in a very short time. For example, we know it's rolling out to the general public on July 29, and if you have a valid copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you may have already seen a pop-up asking you to reserve your upgrade. We also know what hardware will be required -- essentially any PC capable of running Windows 8.1 will also be able to run Windows 10. That's appropriate, because today Microsoft confirmed that retail pricing will also be the same as its predecessor.

Here's how it breaks down:

  • Windows 10 Home: $119
  • Windows 10 Pro: $199
  • Windows 10 Pro Pack: $99

Microsoft confirmed the above prices in a statement to statement to Neowin that reads:

The easiest way to get Windows 10 is to upgrade for free. You may also purchase a copy of Windows 10 if you decide not to upgrade, or if you need to purchase a copy for other reasons like installing on a PC you built yourself. The suggested retail prices for Windows 10 in the U.S. are the same as Windows 8.1.

Windows 10 Home is an estimated retail price of $119. Windows 10 Pro is an estimated retail price of $199. And Windows 10 Pro Pack, which enables you to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro, is an estimated retail price of $99. All these are available in stores or online.

That should also put an end to the speculation that Microsoft might move to a subscription-based formula for Windows 10, as it wouldn't make sense to charge a standard fee for the OS if going that route -- the public outcry would be tremendously loud and vehement.

As always, you can expect to save a bit of coin by going with an OEM copy. Based on Newegg's early listing, Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro in OEM form will run $110 and $150, respectively.

Either way, your best bet is to take advantage of the free upgrade, even if it means picking up a valid/legal copy of Windows 7 at a discount on eBay.

AMD Officially Unveils Its Carrizo APU

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 06:00 PM PDT

APU promises better gaming performance and battery life at an affordable price

While many PC enthusiasts are undoubtedly excited about AMD's new Fiji graphics card, the company is also hard at work pushing the limits of its accelerated processing units, and today officially unveiled its sixth-generation APUs, codenamed Carrizo.

Carrizo

Carrizo promises better battery life and faster gaming performance.

Leading the charge is the company's new flagship APU, the A10-7870K. It's a DX12-compatible APU that AMD says beats a PC with a mobile i3 processor coupled with Nvidia Geforce GT 740 graphics in popular gaming applications such as DOTA 2, StarCraft II, and CS:GO.

AMD Business Units CTO Joe Macri and AMD Product Manager Scott Stankard talk Carrizo.

In terms of specs, it's running on a 28nm process, has four CPU cores, eight GPU cores, and two channels of DDR3 memory. It also meets the Heterogeneous System Architecture spec, to take advantage of programs that support HSA compute. It also supports AMD's TrueAudio. While we love the surround sound tech, it is admittedly a little less exciting to hear considering the limited library of games that actually support it.

Amd Carrizo

Carrizo is optimized for a low (15-watt) TDP.

With Carrizo, AMD's primary goal is pushing performance per watt, which the company says it really had to be aggressive with considering the flagship A10-7870K is running on a low-powered 15-watt part. It says it was able to get away with this largely in part by doubling the L1 data cache, without seeing any negative impact to latency. AMD was also able to reduce power consumption by 2x through better clock gating. The end result is more performance than AMD's previous 35-watt Kaveri APU, at less than half the TDP.

Despite being a low-powered APU, AMD is boasting a 2x graphics performance advantage over Intel's i7 integrated graphics solution ,and is pushing the notion that gaming really is possible at 15 watts. AMD also claims that its performance-per-watt tactics have also allowed it to increase battery life by 2x, particularly as it pertains to video-watching battery life.

Oxide Games' Dan Baker talks advantages of Carrizo and DX12.

While you might roll your eyes at the thought of an APU, AMD's internal data suggest that the $400–700 notebook range is the most popular, one that yields 63 million customers every year. While Carrizzo may not be a performance rocketship across the board, AMD is designing the APU to handle the majority of popular tasks, whether it be gaming, 4K video viewing, or providing all-day battery life, reasonably well.

Carrizo 3

Carrizo promises better battery life.

Carrizo notebooks will begin to ship to retail outlets today.

Windows 10 is Around the Bend, Here's What You'll Need to Run It

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 02:40 PM PDT

Windows 10 system requirements revealed

Windows 10 Laptop

Anticipation for Windows 10 is growing by the day. Adding to the excitement, Microsoft has begun sending out invitations to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to reserve their free upgrade for when the OS becomes available, which Microsoft confirmed to be July 29th. You may have already filled out the form, and all that's left to do now is wait. Well, that and make sure your PC is up to the task. 

Don't stress over the requirements -- if your PC can handle Windows 8.1, it should be able to run Windows 10. Officially, however, here's what you'll need:

  • Latest OS: Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update
  • Processor: 1GHz or faster processor or SoC
  • RAM: 1GB for 32-bit; 2GB for 64-bit
  • Hard Disk Space: 16GB for 32-bit; 20GB for 64-bit
  • Graphics Card: GeForce Titan X...just kidding! DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
  • Display: 1024x600 or greater

The above come with the standard disclaimer that they're subject to change between now and when Windows 10 ships, though they likely won't. And if they do, we suspect they'll be minor changes at best.

That said, there's something else you should know. Even though a 1GHz processor is fast enough to run Windows 10, it needs to have support for PAE, NX, and SSE2, all of which are pretty old technologies at this point. Here's what they mean:

  • PAE: gives 32-bit processors the ability to use more than 4 GB of physical memory on capable versions of Windows, and is a prerequisite for NX.
  • NX: helps your processor guard the PC from attacks by malicious software.
  • SSE2: is a standard instruction set on processors that is increasingly used by third-party apps and drivers.

If your system is around 11 years old or newer, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Otherwise, it's time to think about an upgrade if you want to run Windows 10.

A Word About Migration

When you upgrade, Windows 10 will do its best to migrate your applications and settings, though there are some exceptions. Straight from Microsoft:

  • For Anti-virus and Anti-malware applications, during upgrade Windows will check to see if your Anti-virus or Anti-malware subscription is current. Windows will uninstall your application while preserving your settings. After upgrade is complete, Windows will install the latest version available with the settings that were set prior to upgrade. If your subscription is not current, upgrade will enable Windows defender.
  • Some applications that came from your OEM may be removed prior to upgrade.
  • For certain third party applications, the "Get Windows 10" app will scan for application compatibility. If there is a known issue that will prevent the upgrade, you will be notified of the list of applications with known issues. You can choose to accept and the applications will be removed from the system prior to upgrade. Please be sure to copy the list before you accept the removal of the application.

In other words, get your licenses in order and be ready to re-install certain applications, if necessary.

Which Version Will I Get?

There's been some confusion as to which version of Windows 10 existing Windows 7/8.1 users are eligible for, so let's clear that up:

  • Windows 7 Starter > Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 7 Home Basic > Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 7 Home Premium > Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 7 Professional > Windows 10 Pro
  • Windows 7 Ultimate > Windows 10 Pro
  • Windows 8.1 > Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 8.1 with Bing > Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 8.1 Pro > Windows 10 Pro
  • Windows 8.1 Pro for Students > Windows 10 Pro
  • Windows Phone 8.1 > Windows 10 Mobile

If you own Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 Enterprise, or Windows RT/RT 8.1, you're out of luck -- there's no free upgrade for you. Enterprise users might qualify for other promotions, though the free consumer upgrade path we're talking about here does not apply.

Newegg Windows 10

For those who don't qualify, there's no official word on pricing yet, though Newegg may have let the cat out of the bag by listing Windows 10 Professional OEM for $150 and Windows 10 Home OEM for $110.

Anything Else I Should Know?

While you may have the necessary hardware to run Windows 10, whether or not you can take advantage of all of its features is another story. For example, Cortana for the time being will only be available on Windows 10 in the U.S., U.K., China, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.

Microsoft lists several other disclaimers, some of which are obvious ("To use touch, you need a tablet or monitor that supports multi-touch") while others are more technical ("Client Hyper-V requires 64-bit system with second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities and additional 2GB of RAM (Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise only).

We've covered the most important tidbits above, but if you want the full skinny on all the exceptions and fine-grain requires, you'll find them here.

Corsair Unveils Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition Case

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 01:24 PM PDT

Giving the Obsidian 750D a facelift

Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition

Corsair is bringing back a nearly two-year-old computer chassis with a slightly new design to improve airflow. Meet the Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition, a follow-up to the original and elegantly designed Obsidian 750D, now with a perforated front grill with a pair of 140mm high-airflow fans sucking air in.

There's also a 140mm fan in the back. If that's not enough, you can fill the chassis with up to eight cooling fans. And if you'd rather liquid cool your system, there's plenty of options for mounting your radiator:

  • Top: 360mm or 280mm
  • Front: 280mm or 240mm
  • Bottom: 240mm
  • Rear: 140mm or 120mm

"The increased ventilation offered by the new Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition opens up even more cooling options and performance, with three AF140L fans included to ensure great cooling right out of the box," Corsair says.

Otherwise, it's pretty much the same case as its predecessor, including a black monolithic design with brushed aluminum and solid steel construction, nine expansion slots, six tool-free 3.5-inch/2.5-inch combo bays in two modular hard drive cages, four tool-free 2.5-inch side mounted drive cages for SSDs, three tool-free 5.25-inch bays, four front-mounted USB ports, easily accessible and removable dust filters, and cable routing amenities.

The Obsidian 750D Airflow Edition is available now for $160 MSRP.

Newegg Daily Deals: Asus X99-Deluxe Motherboard, Dell UltraSharp 24-inch Monitor, and More!

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 12:54 PM PDT

Asus X99-Deluxe

Top Deal:

Does Patriot's addition of 64GB and 128GB DDR4 Viper 4 memory kits have you wanting to thumb your noise at prudence while you run way past the point of diminishing returns? Or maybe you're looking to build a more modest dream machine, one that doesn't go overboard on RAM, saving you some coin to splurge on a GeForce GTX 980 Ti or two. Either way, if you're wanting to go first class, look no further than today's top deal for an Asus X99-Deluxe/U3.1 motherboard for $373 with $3 shipping (normally $390 - use coupon code: [EMCASNX33]). How you deck it out with hardware is up to you, but the options are there -- three-way SLI, quad-CrossFire, eight SATA 6Gbps ports, and the list goes on.

Other Deals:

Dell UltraSharp U2412M Black IPS Panel 24-inch LCD Monitor for $260 with $5 shipping (normally $300 - use coupon code: [WEEP52940])

Intel Core i7-5820K Haswell-E 6-Core 3.3GHz LGA 2011-v3 Desktop Processor for $375 with free shipping (normally $390 - use coupon code: [EMCASNX24])

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 FTW Video Card for $511 with free shipping (normally $570 - use coupon code: [EMCASNX22]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

WD Black 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive for $70 with free shipping (normally $75 - use coupon code: [ESCASNX23])

Patriot Adds 64GB and 128GB Capacity Options to Viper 4 DDR4 Series

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 12:34 PM PDT

When 32GB just isn't enough

Patriot Viper

Remember when we used to measure the amount of RAM in systems using megabytes? Those days are long gone, and perhaps in the not-too-distant future we'll be using terabytes as a metric. That day may not be as far off as you think, considering that companies like Patriot are dropping 64GB and even 128GB kits into the wild.

Those are the new capacities for Patriot's Viper 4 series of DDR4 memory designed for Intel's X99 platform. Imagine pairing a fast Haswell-E processor with eight freaking 16GB memory modules for a total of 128GB. That would pretty much put an end to Photoshop choking on a bunch of high-res photos open at one time, though Patriot is hoping to attract gamers with these kits.

"The addition of the 64GB and 128GB DRAM to the Viper 4 line will help to propel our already well established catalog of gaming memory" said Les Henry, Patriot's VP of Engineering. "Patriot is committed to further developing its gaming line of memory in order to meet the ever growing demand of today's high-end PCs."

Both capacities are overkill for even a high-end gaming PC, but if that's your thing, so be it. They sport 14-16-16-31 timings and are rated to run at 2400MHz at 1.2V. Patriot says it will announce higher speed 64GB and 128GB kits at a later date.

The Viper 4 64GB and 128GB kits will be available in the third quarter of this year. No word yet on price.

Asus ROG and In Win Tag Team a Transforming PC Case

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 12:19 PM PDT

All that's missing is a Transformer sound clip

Transforming Case

You never know what you're going to see at Computex. New hardware and software releases are a given, and so are product announcements teasing things to come. But every once in awhile, you run into something funky, like the transforming PC case that Asus ROG and In Win built together.

We're not sure which company came up with what, but together, the two have been showing off a one-of-a-kind chassis that opens up with ease. With the simple press of a button, the wrap-around side panels pull out and away from the case while the motherboard tray is propped up and tilts at an angle so that it's easy to work on.

It takes about 10 seconds for the process to complete, which is about on par with how long it would take to remove a couple of thumb screws on each of the front and back panels of a typical case and pull them off.

There are couple videos floating around the web that show off the case, including one on Engadget's website and this one courtesy of 4Gamers News:

Not a lot is known about the case, like what other features it brings to the table, when it might be released, and for how much. About the only detail we could dig up is TechSpot saying that, according to Asus, the case will be mass produced. We'll update when we know more.

Corsair Seeks Forever Home for Bulldog, a Barebones Living Room Gaming PC

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 11:22 AM PDT

Barking up the right tree

Corsair Bulldog

System builders far and wide are jumping on the PC-as-a-console bandwagon, a trend that will grow even stronger this fall when official Steam Machines are given the green light. But what if you want to roll your own? Corsair is answering the call with its new Bulldog, a DIY PC console kit.

Straight to the point, Bulldog consists of a compact and ventilated console-like chassis, a 600W SFX power supply, mini ITX motherboard, and Corsair's Hydro Series H5SF small form factor liquid CPU cooler. The cost for the kit is $399, plus another $99 if you want to add an optional Hydro Series H55 liquid cooler and HG10 graphics card cooling bracket for the crop of drop-in-ready liquid-cooled graphics cards that Corsair says are right around the corner.

Your job is to add a processor, graphics cards, memory, and storage device, plus whichever operating system you want to roll with. While that leaves things open-ended, Corsair is heavily promoting 4K gaming on this thing.

"Bulldog is designed to take the 4K gaming experience delivered by desktop gaming PCs, and bring it to the big 4K screens in the home," said Andy Paul, CEO of Corsair Components. "We knew we needed to deliver a solution that was elegant, powerful, and compact. By leveraging our leading expertise in PC case design and liquid cooling, we met that goal with Bulldog. We can't wait to unleash it on gamers this fall."

Corsair didn't say which motherboard comes pre-installed, though with an emphasis on high-end performance, we suspect its one that supports Intel CPUs. We're not saying you can't build a 4K system around an AMD foundation, just that Intel has the higher-performing options right now.

Of course, it's the GPU what will do most of the pixel pushing, and presumably you'll be able to feed the Bulldog something like a GeForce GTX 980 Ti. Either way, Corsair promises a builder-friendly layout with tool-free features.

Corsair Lapdog

To go along with the Bulldog, Corsair also announced the Lapdog, a wireless keyboard with an integrated mouse mat that measures 7 inches by 11 inches. It has a memory foam underside so that it feels comfortable on your lap, powered USB hub, and a hidden compartment to store cables. It will be available as a standalone station for $89, with keyboard for $199.

Windows 10 Arriving on July 29th

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 10:47 AM PDT

Microsoft today announced that Windows 10 will be arriving officially on July 29th. The software giant previously gave hints that Windows 10 would launch in the summer time frame and AMD CEO Lisa Su indicated likewise, but now users have a date to look forward to.

Users of Windows 7 and 8.1 are also receiving taskbar notifications of a free upgrade to Windows 10. Microsoft is pushing Windows 10 as an even bigger release than Windows 8 was, and you'll be able to upgrade to the same SKU (example: Home edition to Home edition) for free. Of course, if you're willing to pony up for more features, other SKUs will be available too.

There were previous indications from Microsoft that users with pirated copies of Windows 7 and 8.1 would have "attractive" options for getting Windows 10, but no confirmed word yet on what those options are. Although we're pretty certain that if you're pirating Windows already, Windows 10 will be "free" for you anyway.

Some notable features of Windows 10:
- Edge, Microsoft's new browser
- Cortana, digital assistant
- Xbox Live and integrated Xbox app, stream games from Xbox One
- Windows Continuum, flip between desktop/laptop/tablet modes
- DirectX 12
- Start menu

Are you looking forward to Windows 10? What's your most sought after feature? Let us know in the comments.

Update: If you're not eligible for an upgrade, as in you're coming from Windows XP or older, or if you're building a new PC on your own and have to get Windows, it'll be $119 for the Home edition. For users who need Windows 10 Professional, it'll be $199.

Hola Vows Better Transparency in Wake of Botnet Debacle, Bug Bounty Program to Follow

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 09:08 AM PDT

Setting the record straight

Hola

Hola, a popular VPN add-on for browsers, found itself bathed in hot water recently after it came to light that it had inadvertently sold users' bandwidth to a botnet. Users were understandably pissed off that their resources were funding something malicious, and some users didn't understand that by using the free service, they were agreeing to let Hola tap into their bandwidth. It all added up to a PR nightmare, and in response to it, Hola is being a lot more transparent. The company is also going to implement a bug-bounty program in hopes of making its service more secure.

"For the past two years, Hola has been growing steadily - purely via word of mouth and stellar reviews. Our marketing budget was zero $. We grew organically," Hola stated in a blog post. "People simply love Hola and made it the number one VPN in the world.

"Which is why the last week has been so difficult for us. There have been some terrible accusations against Hola which we feel are unjustified. We innovated quickly, but it looks like Steve Jobs was right. We made some mistakes, and now we're going to fix them, fast. Since May 28, our people have been working literally 24/7."

The Steve Jobs name drop is in reference to one of his quotes: "Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations."

Quoting Apple's late co-founder may not be the best way to make peace with its users, not when Jobs once tried to explain away iPhone connection issues by putting the blame on the way people naturally hold their mobile devices. But let's not nitpick, because it's the sentiment that counts.

In this case, Hola has vowed to be a lot more transparent about its service.

"We assumed that by stating that Hola is a P2P network, it was clear that people were sharing their bandwidth with the community network in return for their free service. After all, people have been doing that for years with services like Skype. It was not clear to all our users, and we want it to be completely clear," Hola said.

Hola changed its website so that the P2P aspect of its service is now "in your face" and no longer an afterthought in the FAQ section. The information is presented in a big blue banner that sits atop Hola's homepage, which also contains a link to the FAQ for more information.

What about the more egregious act of selling bandwidth to a botnet? Well, Hola has two things to say about that. The first is that it was unaware of what was going on. According to Hola, the spammer in question posed as a corporation and was able to pass through the company's filters with relative ease. Hola has since taken measures to prevent that from happening again, and will also be appointing a Chief Security Officer to lead its security team.

The second thing Hola points out is that it doesn't take much of your bandwidth.

"On average about 6MB per day now, which is like an additional 3 web page loads per day or 15 seconds of a YouTube clip. You can choose this 'value exchange' model, or opt out with the Hola premium ($5 per month)," Hola added.

So, that's Hola's side of things. You can read more in the full blog post.

Nvidia G-Sync Heads to New Monitors and Laptop Displays

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 08:31 AM PDT

It's a G-Sync revolution

G-Sync Laptops

Nvidia saved the good stuff for Computex. If you haven't done so already, check out our review of Nvidia's brand-spankin'-new GeForce GTX 980 Ti—or mini Titan X, as we like to call it. Had that been all Nvidia brought to the convention, we wouldn't have been disappointed, but it also announced a GameWorks VR software development kit (see our coverage here) and an aggressive expansion of its G-Sync technology to a crop of new monitors and even laptop displays (keep reading).

The list of new G-Sync monitors in the pipeline looks like this:

Make Model Size Resolution Refresh Rate Panel
Acer XB271HK 27 inches 4k 60 Hz IPS
Acer XB281HK 28 inches 4k 60 Hz TN
Acer X34 34 inches 3400x1440 75 Hz IPS
Acer Z35 35 inches 2560x1080 144 Hz VA
Asus PG279Q 27 inches 1440p 144 Hz IPS
Asus PG27Aq 27 inches 4K 60 Hz IPS
Asus PG34Q 34 inches 3400x1440 60 Hz IPS

"As with current G-SYNC monitors, there's no minimum refresh rate, meaning G-SYNC works even when your frame rate is low; ghosting is exceptionally low, even at high frame rates; and there's no performance impact from the use of G-SYNC on Maxwell GPUs," Nvidia stated in a blog post.

In addition to more than half a dozen new monitors, G-Sync has found its way over to laptops. There are at least six notebooks that will feature the world's first 75Hz mobile gaming display with G-Sync baked in—two from Aurous, two from Clevo, and one each from MSI and Asus. Just like on G-Sync desktop monitors, each mobile display is hand-selected by Nvidia after passing flicker, color, and responsiveness tests. These will be available later this month on displays from 15.6 inches to 17.3 inches, and resolutions up to 4K.

"Similarly, each G-SYNC notebook is always synchronized with no minimum frame rate, the same stutter-free and flicker-free experience, and the same level of support provided by our frequent driver updates," Nvidia added.

Finally, G-Sync now features a Windowed Mode that enables gamers to enjoy the same smooth gaming benefits of G-Sync when playing in window or borderless windows. The feature was added to the newest GeForce drivers, version 353.06.

SanDisk Intros 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive ‘Smaller Than a Dime’

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 04:11 AM PDT

Company has also launched a standard-sized 256GB model

CZ43 128GB angle left close LR

SanDisk has taken the wraps off a couple of high-capacity USB flash drives. One is the world's smallest 128GB USB 3.0 thumb drive (pictured), and the other is the company's highest-capacity offering yet at 256GB.

The 128GB drive is the latest addition to the company's UltraFit range. Introduced last year, the 19.1 by 15.9 by 8.8 mm product was hitherto only available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities. The company says the drive is capable of read speeds of up to 130MB/s and write speeds of up to 40MB/s. Considering how problematic it can be for some people to keep track of even normal-sized memory sticks, those prone to losing things should probably steer clear of this barely-there drive.

As for the 256GB SanDisk Ultra, it is a standard-sized drive measuring 56.8 mm x 21.3 mm x 10.8 mm. And while the write speeds are again said to be up to 40MB/s like the UltraFit — or, in other words, 10 times that of a USB 2.0 stick — the reads speeds top out at only 100MB/s.

"SanDisk's new USB 3.0 offerings feature a five-year warranty4; include SanDisk SecureAccess software to keep private files safe with password protection and 128-bit encryption; and come with a year's subscription to RescuePRO software to recover lost or corrupted files," the company said in a press release announcing the two products.

The two flash drives are available both online and offline. The 128GB UltraFit will set you back $119.99, whereas the 256GB Ultra will cost you $199.99.

Computex 2015: Keynote Highlights

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 12:59 AM PDT

Windows 7 and 8 Users Report Seeing Windows 10 Upgrade Prompts

Posted: 01 Jun 2015 12:51 AM PDT

Reserve your free upgrade to Windows 10 now

Win10updatepromptAs you may know, Windows 10 will be offered as a free upgrade to those running qualifying versions of Windows 7 and 8/8.1. But what about those Windows users who don't have the slightest inkling of what Microsoft has planned for them? There's an update notification for that.

Windows users eligible for the free upgrade are reporting seeing a desktop popup asking them to "reserve your free upgrade to Windows 10 now." Those that accept will get the new OS in the form of a 3GB download the moment it's available — no mention of when that might be. And should they want to, users will also be able to cancel their reservation at any time.

"You'll get a notification after Windows 10 is downloaded to your device," the notification reads. "Install it right away or pick a time that's good for you. After it's installed, Windows 10 is all yours."

If you think you're eligible for the upgrade but haven't seen the prompt yet, try looking for Windows Update KB3035583. This small, non-security update — pushed out to Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8/8.1 systems in March — is what triggers the notification. Some people have successfully managed to invoke the prompt by firing up GWX.exe from within C:\Windows\System32\GWX.

Image Credit: p4block

Windows 10 OEM Pricing, Release Date Revealed by E-tailer

Posted: 31 May 2015 10:15 PM PDT

[UPDATE 06/01/15: MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES WINDOWS 10 WILL BE AVAILABLE ON JULY 29TH]

Pre-order listings for Windows 10 Home and Professional crop up on Newegg

Newegg-windows-10 Listings

Newegg has done it again. Just like it did with Windows 8 back in 2012, the e-tailer has spilled the beans on Windows 10 OEM pricing and release date. ZDNet's Ed Bott recently chanced upon a couple of listings for Windows 10 OEM copies on the website.

The listings in question are for Home and Professional System Builder packages priced at $109.99 and $149.99, respectively. Even though it has refused to comment on them, Microsoft does not appear to have an issue with the listings remaining online. You can, in fact, go ahead and pre-order them this very moment, though you will have to wait until at least August 31, 2015 for your order to be fulfilled (i.e., if this information is final).

If you are currently running a qualifying version of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1, you will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 the moment it's available. Should you want to install Windows 10 on a new system, however, you're probably going to need a retail or OEM System Builder license.

According to The Verge, it has been told by well-informed sources that the company is on track to release Windows 10 sometime in July, with the RTM (release to manufacturing) milestone likely in June. But it is likely to be a staggered release, with those in the Windows Insider Program being offered the upgrade ahead of everyone else. The report claims the "gap between the release to manufacturing process, where the OS is delivered to OEMs in preparation for new machines, and its availability as an upgrade to download and install" will be smaller compared to previous releases.

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